If any of them thought they saw our ship they were to veer off and report. By far the most important thing we could do would be, very carefully, to find out which port the ship was headed for. It might be generally known and of no concern to the crew if we knew or it might be a carefully kept secret. Second, and we could do this with no problem as long as the sky was clear, tell them what direction we were going. I immediately sent the message that we had been sailing south when we were on deck.

It wasn't long before we were released again and allowed on deck. With the diversion of having to go to our cubbies I seemed to have gotten over my queasy feeling, but a couple of the others looked a bit green. We found an out-of-the-way corner where quite a few ropes were coiled up and sat around getting to know each other. The four from Garnet Bay already knew each other of course. They were all children of prominent families. The captain of the slaver ship had made friends with Rose's parents and no doubt had selected them from the knowledge he gained on his visits.

We tried to be comforting and upbeat without giving them any more hope than they had. Bret had the most hope, but even he didn't have much - how could his father find this ship in the wide sea before they made port?

At regular intervals we heard bells and Bret informed us that they timed the watches. He had been cabin boy on his father's ship and was full of information about ships and the sea.

We were getting better with the language all the time but it was obvious to the others that we were not from anywhere they knew about. We had to partly invent a story about where we had come from without letting anyone know that Malcolm was a wizard and we were apprentices. The sailors obviously spoke a different language and for the most part didn't understand enough of the language we were speaking to know that Lira, Aril and I were not natives like the others. The exceptions were the Captain, whom we seldom saw, Mr. Jik and Tarl, who had been captured like we had been from the same country.

After lunch Tarl came over, "My watch is over, could I join you? I'd like to have some conversation and news from fellow countrymen. They keep me carefully confined when we're in ports in our country; they don't want me to escape, of course, and bring the townspeople down on them. I'd do it too - I want to go home - but from all I've heard my best hope is the promise I've been given of freedom and a berth on this ship if I serve well for ten years - not real freedom, but better than slavery." I was glad to hear this; Tarl could be a big help when rescue came if he would. I now thought he would if he was sure it would be successful.

"Won't Mr. Jik and the Captain be upset if you talk to us?" Lira asked.

"No, they're happy if the new slaves are not making any trouble - they just want to get you to the market in the best condition possible as I'm sure Mr. Jik told you. They're very confident that nothing we can say or do can help us get away."

"Well, sure then, come and join us," said Bret, "we have a bit of hope, but not much. Some of the ships that were docked at Garnet Bay should be hunting for us.

"That usually happens, but the further we go the less chance they'll catch us; the sea is very great and we don't take a direct route. We're headed for the city Chim, which is Northwest of Garnet Bay. We started out straight west, however and are now sailing south. We'll turn west again about sundown if the wind is right. Any ships trying to follow probably went west or northwest."

"But my father's smart; he'll know you didn't go straight back to Gelna - oops."

"That's all right, we know your father's a Captain - he made it well know he didn't appreciate his son being kidnapped. We'd have been caught too if the cubbies weren't so well made - I was in one too you know, I don't think they'll ever trust me. Anyway, since he hasn't caught up yet it's very unlikely he will."

Bret looked really dejected over this. I glanced at the twins and saw that Aril looked like she was napping with her head in Lira's lap. I knew she was transmitting the knowledge Tarl had provided to the searching ships.

"I think you should learn as much as you can about our ships and sailing methods on the way." continued Tarl, "You may get a cabin boy's position on a high-class ship and end up a free captain eventually."

"I would like to learn; this ship is quite a bit different from ours, but I'm not giving up all hope yet!"

"I think we would all like to learn." I said, "It will at least take our minds off our situation to some extent."

"Maybe we could learn enough to take over the ship and sail home." said Krager in a somewhat lame attempt at humor.

"Don't let anyone else hear you say something like that." Tarl said earnestly, "Any show of rebelliousness, even in jest, will bring you severe discomfort, though it won't damage you permanently."

"That's right," said Lira, "as long as we're on this ship there's a chance, however slim, but it won't do us a bit of good to be uncooperative until that chance comes. It appears the nicer we are the better we'll be treated."

So Bret and Tarl talked in detail about the differences between the ships and manner of sailing them and the rest of us tried to follow along and learn something. We all came to like Tarl. Though he was one of our captors he was also a slave like us. I became more convinced than ever that he would change sides if he thought our side would win but if he didn't he'd fight us.

As evening was coming on Bret pointed out that the breezes were getting a bit unstable; blowing from here and there rather than from just one direction. He said that could mean a storm was brewing. Tarl agreed and asked an old sailor who was passing by.

"Eye, Tarl." he replied, "We'll 'ave the first storm o the season dumpin on us ere the first watch. Best be ready for all hands. We're 'bout to cut sail 'n run before the wind when she comes. I think she'll be a bad one."

Tarl turned to us and advised, "After mess you'd better stick close to your cubbies. If Trax is right and it's a bad one the ship may take some damage, but the bow, with the extra strength of the cubbies should do best. But you'll also take more tossing about so be careful to wedge yourselves in during the worst of the buffeting so you won't get flung about and bruise or break something.

During and after dinner the movement of the ship became more and more pronounced and we were glad to retreat to the corridor - companionway Bret called it - where our cubbies were. On the way we walked like drunkards and banged into each other and the walls - bulkheads Bret called them.

We sat together and talked quietly for a while - it seemed prudent to sit on the floor - deck Bret called it - we'd learn about ships if Bret had his way. Tarl came and said all hands had been called and we should get into our cubbies and be prepared for whatever might come; wedge ourselves into our bunks. He said he'd leave the doors unlocked and he showed us how to open them from inside when they weren't locked. "Just don't leave them open and hold them tight when you must open them; they're very heavy and can do you a lot of damage if they crash into you when the ship rolls." After telling us that none of us wanted to go in and out except for the most dire emergencies.

It wasn't long after we were all settled that the buffeting increased greatly and the ship started groaning and creaking. I was glad to be wedged into my bunk and hoped the others were too. All we could do was trust in the strength of the ship and the skill of the sailors.

Read Part Nine 

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